Gay Talese has been called the most important nonfiction writer of his generation. His work as a reporter for The New York Times and Esquire long ago set the standard for journalistic excellence. He has interviewed some of the most famous and infamous people in our recent history, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Joe DiMaggio, and the Bonanno crime family.

Gay Talese revolutionized American journalism in 1966 by writing “Frank Sinatra Has a Cold,” an Esquire article describing his futile attempts to interview the singer and the conversations he had instead with Sinatra’s entourage, including the person in charge of his toupees. For more than five decades, Talese has brilliantly captured the stories of the famous and the obscure, while living a colorful life that occasionally verged on the notorious, such as when Talese managed several massage parlors (for the purposes of research). He has also depicted many people we would not otherwise know, and he has made their stories equally compelling. Talese writes about America by creating rich, detailed portraits of her people. â€œHe is a reporter, true enough,â€ writes the Los Angeles Times, â€œbut one with the eyes and ears of an artist.â€

Born in Ocean City, New Jersey, in 1932, Talese graduated from the University of Alabama in 1953. He joined the staff of The New York Times in 1955, where he worked as a reporter until 1965. His work has also appeared in Esquire, The New Yorker, and Harperâ€™s. The authorâ€™s books include New York: A Serendipiterâ€™s Journey (1961); The Bridge (1964); The Overreachers (1965); The Kingdom and The Power (1969); Fame and Obscurity (1970); Honor Thy Father (1971); Thy Neighborâ€™s Wife (1981); Unto the Sons (1992); The Gay Talese Reader: Portraits & Encounters (2003); and A Writerâ€™s Life (2005).

Best-Selling Author Series 2007: Free at Kingsborough

The Best-Selling Author Series is a series of lively and informal talks by authors on the process of writing and publishing books and the adventures they have had along the way. Events are FREE and include a Q&A with the author and a book-signing. Advance reservations are required; limit of two tickets per person per event. To reserve your tickets, please call (718) 368-5051. Reservations must be received at least once week prior to the talk. All programs are at 7 p.m. in the Leon M. Goldstein Performing Arts Center. Seating begins at 6:30 p.m. Parking is free. For convenient public transport, take the B-1 or B-49 bus to the last stop on Oriental Boulevard, past Mackenzie Street. For more information or to join our mailing list, call the performing arts hotline at 718.368.6680 or visit the events calendar at www.kbcc.cuny.edu